The Man Utd bargain summer signings who could stretch £50m transfer budget to the max

There’s a big summer ahead at Old Trafford. Although in truth, at this stage, ‘summer’ might be pushing it. We might as well call it the ‘rainy season transfer window’ this year. Either way, Manchester United - bolstered by the presence of Sir Jim Ratcliffe - are expected to be in the market for reinforcements over the coming weeks.

A central defender, a left-back, a midfielder, and a new centre forward are all understood to be on the Red Devils’ transfer wish list, but they may have to be thriftier in their ambitions than many people initially realised. According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, United have a budget of just £50 million to spend this summer, and if they are to solve all of their recruitment issues between now and the beginning of the season, then some canny acquisitions may be in order.

With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at the players United could sign to get the absolute most out of their £50 million transfer kitty...

Adrien Rabiot - Free

Perpetually linked with Old Trafford in recent years, the French international is once again facing an uncertain future at Juventus as his contract hurtles towards its conclusion. If an extension is not agreed upon, then Rabiot would be available on a free transfer this summer, and United are once again being touted as a prospective destination. Competition for the 29-year-old’s signature is likely to be stiff, with AC Milan also heavily interested, but this would be a way that United could bring in a world class midfield talent for an absolute steal.

Jean-Clair Todibo - £21 million

Again, linked with United for a long while now, Todibo is widely expected to leave OGC Nice this summer. Of course, Ratcliffe and his INEOS group have a major hand in the running of the French club, and there is a belief that that connection could help facilitate some kind of mutually beneficial agreement. At the time of writing, L’Equipe claim that Todibo could be available for around £21 million - a bargain for a defender of his calibre - but the likes of Aston Villa, Atletico Madrid, and Napoli are also monitoring his situation.

Serhou Guirassy - £15.6 million

A breakout star of last season’s Bundesliga campaign, with 28 goals in 28 matches, Guirassy has been linked with just about every Premier League club in the market for a striker - including United. The reason for this is that his release clause at VfB Stuttgart reportedly stands at a modest £15.6 million, making him an absurdly affordable alternative compared to many of the other centre forwards who are currently occupying the gossip columns. The main issue here could be convincing him to leave a club who have just qualified for Champions League football next term, but if Guirassy is available, he would be a solid, cheap option.

Bradley Locko - £12.7 million

Bringing our hypothetical transfer spend to a total of £49.3 million, Locko is a French U21 international left-back who has been tentatively mentioned in relation to United on numerous occasions in recent months. Currently on the books at Brest and named in the 2023/24 Ligue 1 team of the season, the 22-year-old is wanted by several Premier League clubs, including West Ham and Nottingham Forest, but the Red Devils could do far, far worse than luring him to Old Trafford this summer.